The large number of oil wells still on fire in Kuwait, even though the rather short Persian Gulf was has been over for many months, attests to the fact that existing technology for dealing with the problem of oil well fires leave much to be desired. A common method being used involves inundating the well site with large quantities of water spray for several days, and then moving a heat-shielded vehicle having a long boom toward the well with an explosive charge on the outer end of the boom. When the charge is positioned over the top of the wellhead in the region before the flame front begins, the charge is detonated to create a large explosion which momentarily depletes all oxygen in the vicinity. This procedure extinguishes the flame so that the oil flow can be dealt with by special equipment, provided the flame is not reignited by hot pieces of metal or the like. In that event the process must be repeated until the flame is out and the flow of oil is under control. Particularly during the period of time between the explosion of the charge and the setting of wellhead equipment there is extreme danger to personnel that the flame may suddenly reignite.
Other techniques that have been proposed are shown in U.S. Pat. No(s). 1,857,788 and 1,921,739. According to the '788 patent, a huge concrete block having a centrally located funnel and pipe is transported on its edge by rail to the well site, and then allowed to fall down onto a previously prepared apron and the dike around the well. The funnel directs the oil flow into the pipe and then a valve in the pipe is closed to shut in the oil well. However there is no practical teaching or suggestion in this patent as to how to build a rail line up to and along side a burning oil well, or how an apron or a dike could be constructed in the presence of such an extremely hot flame. Thus this invention does not believe that this patent represents a truly practical solution to the problem. The '739 patent illustrates a long horizontal pipe that is transported by rail on trolleys to where a downwardly facing funnel at its forward end is over the top of the well bore. The flow of oil is diverted by the funnel into the pipe, and the flame, according to the patent, appears at the outer end thereof. Then the pipe is broken at its center to carry the oil to a storage site. Moreover, it is believed that unless the funnel somehow is sealed with respect to the top of the well, the flame may continue to burn intensely in the region around and above the funnel.
An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved method and apparatus for extinguishing an oil well or similar type of fire in a simple and reliable manner and in a minimum of time, without the dangers and shortcomings mentioned above.